Sightseeing, Drinking , Partying & Enjoying Europe’s Sin City
Amsterdam is Europe’s Sin City, a place that, unlike America’s Sin City doesn’t tease with sex and drugs.
It puts it front and center, in fact in windows where you can shop for it as you do for wardrobe in Las Vegas.
But there’s more to Amsterdam than that, and here’s PubClub.com’s guide to spending a weekend in the city. From a PubClub perspective, of course.
DO HAPPY HOUR FRIDAY IN THE SPUI
Party with locals when they get off work in an area called The Spui, which is pretty centrally located in Amsterdam. There are two main bars here, Cafe Luxembourg and Dante’s. This will get put you in the right mood for a fun rest of the night.
WALK THROUGH THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT
After the crowd in The Spui starts to scatter, this is is an ideal time to walk through the Red Light District. It’s nothing like you’ve ever experienced, even if you’ve walked through a Red Light District in other parts of Europe. It’s full of girls of all imaginable looks and proportions, from “why would anyone spend money on her” to drop-dead gorgeous, sex stores and sex shows.
Plus it’s home to the best of the city’s legendary pot shops, called coffee houses.
While there you’ll get thirsty so stop in for a beer at the Old Sailor pub.
DRINK IN THE LEIDESPLEIN
After the Red Light District, go to one of the two main drinking areas of the city. Start at the Leidseplein, which is generally a big younger than the Rembrandtplein. Our favorite place here is Cafe Bastille but it’s one of the smallest bars in Amsterdam and gets impossibly crowded, so make that one of your first stops.
DRINK IN THE REMBRANDTPLEIN
If you can pry yourself away from the Leidseplein, then hit the Rembrandtplein. Here, there’s so many fun small bars around the square that things will soon be a blur. Then again, it could be all those “Tiny Hineys” you or ordering. Or some of the legally-sold drugs are starting to take affect on you.
WASH, RINSE, REPEAT
That’s a good start to a Friday night. On Saturday, just do the same thing again, except The Spui is not too happening on Saturdays.
RENT A BICYCLE
Okay, you need some culture so rent a bike and go riding around the city. It’s really a gorgeous city with those arched bridges over the canals. Just know you will probably get lost since everything looks the same so be on the lookout for the two main landmarks, the aforementioned Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein.
If you are feeling the least bit adventurous, go out behind the train station and within minutes you’ll be in the middle of the Dutch countryside.
Just be sure and lock your bike whenever you get off of it. We repeat: lock your bike!
VISIT A MUSEUM, SUCH AS THE ANNE FRANK HOUSE
Amsterdam has some outstanding museums, most notably the Rijksmuseum, the centerpiece of which is The Night Watch, a painting the size of a wall.
But this often sells out or at the very least is crowded with lines. So we suggest the Anne Frank House. This is where the teenage girl and her family lived while hiding from the Nazis and the mere thought of them having to do this and then seeing it will sober you up in a hurry if you’re still a little groggy from the previous night’s activities.
Admission price is only 9 Euros. It’s open 9 a.m-9 p.m., and you can even make a reservation ahead of time, although in in Amsterdam, planning your activities to the minute often doesn’t work because, well, you’re in Amsterdam. Here’s the museum’s website: www.annefrank.org.
The Heinekein Brewery Experience (the tour of the brewery), once a favorite of backpackers throughout the world because of its unlimted beer, is now a whopping 18 Euros. And you only get one beer.
GO TO CAFE LUXENBOURG ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON TO DRINK
Finish up your Amsterdam experience where you started it, at Cafe Luxenbourg. This is THE party place in Amsterdam on Sunday. It happens from 4-7 p.m.
For more on Amsterdam bars, nightlife, activities & events, click here.
Prost!
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